Control apparatus



July 27, 1937..

` 'Filed July 21. 19854 CR SS tii-t. umvumm w. J. PQDBIELNIAK 2,088,385 --czoNTRox. APPARATUS `3 Sheets-Sheetl 1 5 U f 20 3 l @533 Y Mmmm July 27, 1937. w. J. PQDBIELNIAK 2,088,385

' connor.. APPARATUS Filed July 21, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 -f #l v g5 0 2 0 '3 CROSS REFERENCE EXAMINEB July 27, 1937. w. J. PODBIELNIAK 2,088,385

FTLZSL www Patented July 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE :,osasss coN'rnoL APPARATUS Walter J. Podbielnink, calmo. nl.

Application .my zr, m4, sem No. 736,327

s chum. (Cl. :sc-rc) The present invention relates to improvements in control apparatus suitable for various purposes, for example, in fractional distillation. This application is a continuation in part of my prior application Serial No. 572,146, filed October 30, 1931, now Patent No. 1,967,258 granted July 24, 1934.

The present invention will be fully understood from the accompanying specification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a general view. partly in elevation, and largely diagrammatic without reference to scale, of a layout of apparatus suitable for carrying the invention into effect;

i5 Fig. 2 is a plan view of a detail of drive mechanism shown in Fig. l;

' Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line-S-I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a modified form of apparatus in "0 accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 54is a diagrammatic view,partly in section,-

of a further modified form of apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 5 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a detail of a 'lnocli fied form of apparatus to be used, for example, in

connection` with the apparatus shown in Fig. 5;

and i so Fig. 8 is another detail sectional view of a modined form of apparatus for use in connection with the present invention.

Referring l'more particularly to Fig. 1, theA 4, August 15, 1930, and now Patent No. 1,917,272,

granted July 11, 1933, and my Patent No. 1,967,258, hereinbefore referred to. 'As is readily apparent, theA gas or fluid reaching the conduit 3l may be derived from any other suitable source.

The conduit 3| extends to the control valve mechanism 33, the construction and operation of which is fully set forth in my Patent No. 1,967,258. From the control waive 33, vapors from the 4distilling conduit or vapor conduit 3| are con-v ducted through the line 37 t0 the receiving .bottle or container Il which, in the form illustrated, may be a reduced pressure container in which the contents thereof are at a temperature such as to be in vapor form, as fully described in my applications previously referred to. Y It is readily ap- 5. parent that any other suitable form of container may be employed. As herein illustrated, it is of a fixed volume and the increase of pressure in it resulting from the receipt therein of vapors from the conduit Il is communicated by a connection 10 39 from the line Il to a manometer Il in which the pressure in the receiving container is indicated and by which a further control of the operation secured, as hereinafter set forth.

The apparatus of the present invention is such l5 as to secure control and record of the operation, or either of them, through variations of level within the manometer I0. or, if desired, but one of these results may be secured. As shown. for example, in Fig. 1, control may be secured in 'this zu manner of the feed of the paper sheet I8 of a pyrometer or other suitable recording instrument 61, and likewise of the operation of the control valve 33. As illustrated, the manometer l0 is of the 25 U-tube type, having a closed leg 40a communieating with the evacuated receiver Il and the line 31, and containing a column of mercury or other suitable conductive liquid which is connected through a conductor-1l with one pole of a 30 suitable source of electricity.

With pressure increase in the line Il, a corresponding movement of the liquid in the manometer 40 is caused. This may be employed to cause operation of a control motor or other suitable mode of mechanism in the following manner:

A motor 11 drives, through suitable reduction gears 15, a shaft 14, upon which there is mounted a soft rubber roll 1l. as shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. The soft rubber roll contacts 40 closely with a similar vsoft rubber roll 1l, mounted upon a countershaft l0. Extcndir into the Iopen leg h of the manometer I0, there is provided an elongated metallic contact rod 8|, the end of which is. in its normal position, but a very slight 5 distance above the mercurycolumn in the manometer, say 0.1 mm. The rod 0i extends vertically upward and passes between the rubber rolls 18 and 19 so that, when'the motor 'l1 is driven to operate the shaft 1l, the rubber roll 18 is 50 driven and coacts with the rubber roll 'Il to raise the contact rod Il. In the form illustrated, the shaft 14 is likewiseemployed to drive the paper roll of the pyrometer l1.'

Whenanincreaseofpressureoccursin-the `with the mercury. The circuit through the relay |1| is thereby broken and operation of the motor |83 stopped until a further rise in level of the mercury or 'other conductive iiuid in the manoml eter leg |61 takes place.

Suitable indicating or recording' mechanism may be simultaneously operated by the motor |83. For example, the rotation o! the threaded Arod |18 resulting from the operation oi.' the motor as hereinbefore described may be communicated through worm-gearing |99 to a threaded rod |99, causing movement of a slider |91 with respect to a recording sheet |99 mounted upon a rolll |99 driven from a suitable source, for example, a clock-work motor |99. In this manner, the movement of the rod |12 caused by changes in level of the manometer |91 may be caused to secure indicating or recording data.

The contact rod |12 may, if desired, be forced to follow downward movements oi' the level oi the control liquid by means illustrated in Fig.

5. The clock-work motor |99 (or any other suitable device) may be caused to drive the contact wheel |9 through shait thereby making a short contact at regular intervals with the contact members I2 and i9. A circuit is thereby closed for the period" o! contact through connectors Il' and I9 and relay I9. which in turn causes a circuit to be closed through motor in to operate it in a'reverse direction from theoperation caused by relay |1|. The resulting operation causes linited downward movements oi' the slider |19 and with it oi rod |12. As is readily apparent. ii the level of the control liquid has not receded, the rod |12 will contact the liquid, initiating thereby its own upward movement until it no longer contacts the liquid, as hereinbetore described. However, ii the liquid has receded, the rod will make a succession of short downward movements until it finds the level oi' the control liquid.

It will be apparent that this or other suitable mechanism for periodically reversing the control l rod may also be employed for following a level or movement of an irregularly moving material or body in conjunction with the photosensitive actuating mechanismand other control .devices hereinafter described.

In Fim? is shown a modiiled form ot-apparatus suitable for use, for example, in the case of a manometer containing a non-conductive liquidl or a liquid having light absorptive properties or which is opaque. In this form of construction,

passes a leg |91a of a pressure responsive manometer or other device containing a liquid, such as a level gauge. -On the slider, on opposite sides oi the sleeve |9| there are mounted a photo-elecario oen m and s ngnt bulb or other mutatie eleve source of illumination |99. slit openings are' provided in the sleeve 9|, as indicated at |99, to permit the passage of a beam oi light from the bulb 99 to the photoelectri'c cell |92. The liquid it; the column |91a is indicated by the numeral 5.

Normally, the slider |194 is so positioned that the beam -of light aiecting the photoelectric cell |92 travels a path slightly above the level of the liquid |99. On rise in level of the liquid, the beam oi'light is intercepted, therebyaffecting the photoelectric cell which in turn, through suitable relays. as in the form illustrated in Fig. 5. causes operation of the motor which rotates the and causing the operation of the 'motor to stop.

Fig. 8 illustrates the details of a device which may likewise be employed in connection with a liquid of non-conductive character to operate the .circuit of devices as shown in Figs. l and 5 respectively; In the form of device illustrated in Fig. 8, the numeral |12b indicates the rod, move- .mentor which is to be secured as'a result of changes in the level of the liquid within a column or container |91b. In this case, a permanent contact is 'made' through the connector |9917 to one pole oi a motor or relay. The rod is secured at its lower end within a chamber |99 and is provided therein with a contact member |91. Another contact member |99 is movably mounted within the chamber |95. the Contact member |99 being connected by a conductor |19b to the other n is provided with an enlargement orshoulder 29|.

against which the movable contact member |99 within the chamber rests. With the level of the liquid in the normal position, the oat |99 is suspended from the chamber |99 by the shoulder 29| with the contact |99 out of engagement with the contact |91. When the liquid in the vessel |91b rises in level, the noat |99 is raised, the contact member |99 being thereby raised to engage the contact member |91 and close the circuit through the mechanism which eiiects themovement of the rod |12, for example. as described in connection with Fig. 1 or Fig. 5. The resulting movement oi' thel rod raises the chamber |99, together with the float |99, the latter dropped to its lowermost position and the contact between the contact members |91 and |99 is thereby opened and the circuit through the means for operating the rod |12b closed.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with various specific embodiments thereof. vit is tobe understood that the details ot the mechanism illustrated are not to be regarded as limitations upon the scope o i 7 the invention, except as included in the claims.

I claim: A ll In apparatus responsive to the movable level oi' a liquid. and comprising a container for said liquid of movable level means adapted to be engaged by the liquid at .its surface, said means being adapted, on engagement with the liquid, to close a control circuit, supporting means for said Aliquid engaging means, operatingmeans ailected bythecontrdcircuitandactuatcdbyclosureoi the control circuittoraisesaid supporting means, tberebyssidmeln-S Imm theliquidandusingasidcontrolcircuitto open.

2. In apparatiurponsive totbemovable level ofaliquidandcanprisingacontsineri'orsaid liquid of movable leveLmeans adapted to be engagedbytheliquidatitssuriace,saidmeans beingadapted, on engagement with the liquid, to closeacontrol circuit, supportingmeansfor said liquidenaasing mnaoperating means aiieeted bythecmtrolclrcuitandactuatedbyclosineof tbecontrolcircuittoraisesaidsupportingmeans, therebydiscgagingsaidengagingmnsfrom tbeliquidsndcausingsaidcontrnlcimuitto open,andmeansior intermittently operating said supportingmcanstomoveitdownwardiyintbe direction of the level oi.' the liquid.

3.In apparatus responsive to the movable level ol-a liquid and comprising a container for said liquid of movable level, means adapted to be engagedbytheliquidatiismriacenidmeans beingadaptcd,ontwithtbeliquid. tccloseacontrolcircuit,mpportingmeansfor aaidliduidwminameannoperatingmeansaffectedbythecontrolcircuitandactuatedlwclonireotthecontmlcircmttoraisesaidsupportins means. thereby said conclus meanstromtbeliquidand causingaaid control cimiittoopen,andmeansiorp'eriodicallyactu atingsaidopcratingmeansatregularintervals tocauseasnortdownwardmovunentotthesupportingmeansinthedirectionofthelevelofthe liquid.

4 In apparatiu responsive to the movable -level`otaliquid,acolumnoitransparmtmate rialadaptedtoctaintbeiiquidmeansmovable iengthwiaeofsaidcolummsaidmeansheing movidedwithanopaquedeevesaid colinnn and provided withaslitaphotcaensitive eellandasourceoilight adaptedtonormaliydirectabeamollightthroughsaidslitandcolumn tothephotoaenaitivecellwhuebyonriseotliquid in tbe column, said beam is intercepted, and meansactuatedfromsaidpbotoaensltivecellon intu'ceptionotthebeamoflightbyrlseinlevel oftheliquid im' actnatingsaidmovable member tocauseittomovevertiilyabovetbelevelof tbeliquidinthconlummtherebypermittingthe beamotliahttopassandcausingthesaid operating means to cease operation.

5. In combination, a valve and operating means therefor, said operating means having a motor and an electrical control circuit, a contact member in said control circuit, liquid contact means arranged to cooperate with the tlrst mentioned contact member for closing and opening the circuit, and means whereby the nuid controlled by said valve moves the liquid in said contact means to close the circuit, and means operated by said motor for moving said contact member and breaking the control circuit.

6. In combination, a valve and operating means therefor, said operating means having a motor and an electrical control circuit, a contact member in said control circuit,'electrical conducting liquid contact means arranged to cooperate with the tirst mentioned contact member for closing and opening the circuit, and means whereby the iluid controlled by said valve moves the liquid in said contact means to close the circuit, and rotatable means operated by said motor for moving said contact member and breaking the control circuit.

7. An apparati rponsive to the level of a liquid, contact means adapted to be engaged by the liquid at its surface, a control circuit, said means being adapted, on engagement with the liquid, to close the control circuit, supporting means for said liquid engaging means, operating means aii'ected by the control circuit and actu- 4 ated by closure oi' the control circuit 4to operate said supporting means, thereby disengaging said contact means from the liquid and opening said control circuit.

8. l combination, an apparatus comprising a maval. electrical conducting liquid and a container for said liquid, contact means adapted to be engaged bythe liquid at its surface, said contact means being adapted, on engagement with the rising level of the liquid to close a control circuit, supporting means i'or said liquid enaaging means. operating means aiiected by the control circuit and actuated by closure of the control circuit to operate said supporting means, thereby disengagins said engaging means from the liquid and causing said control droilit to open.

` WALTER J. PODBIELNIA'K. 

